Medical Design

Power solutions

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:01:00 +0000

The MPU-400M series from MicroPower Direct, is a family of compact 400W AC/DC power supplies engineered for a variety of medical and patient care equipment applications.

Dental model production material

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:57:00 +0000

Stratasys Ltd. announced the immediate availability of VeroDentPlus MED690 dental material for the Objet EdenV series of 3D Printers. Vero DentPlus MED690 enables the 3D printing of dental models that offer the appearance of dental stone with fine details and resolution. The new material can be used in conjunction with all open intra-oral impression and plaster scanners and is optimized for printing models for crowns, bridges, orthodontic appliances, and implants.

One-way respiratory valves

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Qosina added two one-way respiratory valves to its line of respiratory kit components and circuit connectors. The valves are made of polypropylene and medical-grade silicone and feature molded arrows to indicate the direction of flow.

Anesthetists’ survey addresses devices

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:14:00 +0000

A recent Europe-wide survey of 104 anesthetists conducted by UK medical device research firm Creative Medical Research has revealed a range of issues affecting the profession in relation to existing and future technologies. The survey asked questions concerning the nature of current technologies and those expected to come on-stream in the near future with the answers providing a clear snapshot of priorities for medical device manufacturers.

Research could lead to hearing loss breakthrough

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:01:00 +0000

A Purdue University researcher's innovation may make it possible for people with severe hearing loss to hear high-frequency sounds. Joshua Alexander, an assistant professor in Purdue's Department of Speech, Language, and hearing Sciences, says conventional hearing aids do not help listeners with severe hearing loss because their pitch range is limited. This means “everything is placed into a very narrow area which makes different speech sounds too similar to one another."

Imaging technology for implant challenge

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:56:00 +0000

GE Healthcare introduced its Mavric SL magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique designed to image soft tissue and bone in patients with MR Conditional-labeled implants, such as metal joint replacements. According to data published by Hospital for Special Surgery today, patients may be experiencing tissue damage from metal-on-metal hip implants before pain symptoms appear. The study underscores that common markers for tissue damage are insufficient in their ability to accurately identify those patients who may require revision surgery.

Mid-tier is where it’s at when it comes to emerging markets

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:25:00 +0000

McKinsey & Co. industry analyst Nicholas Donoghoe says it’s the mid-tier markets in countries such as China, Brazil, and India that represent the greatest potential for medical device growth. In an In Vivo report report, Donoghoe says the battle for the mid-tier medical-device business is well underway, citing three case studies as evidence.

DoubleTake

For its industrial design efforts, is your company using:

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:10:23 +0000

Dual-axis positioning system for liquid handling

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Steinmeyer, Inc. announced its LTZ 2-axis system for liquid-handling systems and medical-dispensing applications. The system incorporates precision composite belts and is driven by stepper motors. Linear guidance is provided by miniature profile guide ways.

Interactive adhesive selector guide

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:53:00 +0000

Henkel Corp.’s Interactive Loctite Medical Device Adhesive Selector Guide is an online resource providing direct links to 48 Loctite medical-device adhesive pages and technical documents, including those on materials-safety data.

Battery management and protection

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:29:00 +0000

Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA), manufacturer of MOS power semiconductors for DC-DC power conversion applications, offers the AP9922GEO-HF-3 dual n-and AP9923GEO-HF-3 dual p-channel enhancement-mode products for battery management and protection.

Canada now has first-ever ‘multitask’ disease-detecting technology

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:14:00 +0000

Canadian patients are expected to benefit from faster, more accurate disease identification, due to a ground-breaking technology in infectious disease testing at the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory (SDCL). Health Minister Dustin Duncan announced a new testing method using BioMark equipment, which allows the SDCL to test for many diseases simultaneously, rather than doing separate tests. This allows physicians to provide better care to their patients, saving time and money.

Digital orthodontics collaboration announced

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:04:00 +0000

Stratasys, Ltd., a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing announced its collaboration with Scheu Dental GmbH. The agreement is expected to enable orthodontic labs to provide complete digital solutions to its customers.

Medtech to be $440B market by 2018, says report

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:54:00 +0000

The “What’s hot and key trends in Medtech in 2013” report by healthcare corporate finance and strategy specialist, Results Healthcare predicts steady growth ahead for the global medtech market. Authored by Managing Director Kevin Bottomley, the report predicts that the global medtech market will grow at 4.4% (CAGR) over 2011-2018 to $440 billion by 2018. In contrast, pharma is forecast to grow at only 2.5% over the same period.

Could device-tax repeal be blowing in the wind?

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:47:00 +0000

Recognizing that in order to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s 2.3% medical device tax, there likely needs to be a means for financing such a move, the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project (FEP) is promoting a solution could be more than just a lot of hot air.

DoubleTake

Compact power supplies

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Power Sources Unlimited, Inc, announced the new PM42 Series of compact 30-48 W AC-DC power supplies that meet UL60601-1 third edition medical safety and EN60950-1 ITE safety standards.

Software for MEMS

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:17:00 +0000

STMicroelectronics, supplier of MEMS sensors has simplified the use of MEMS in a wider range of applications by releasing ready-to-use software drivers for communication with Linux systems. ST’s new driver architecture is supported in the latest revision of Linux Kernel (from revision 3.9), now available. The drivers reportedly make ST’s MEMS devices more easily accessible to developers using Linux open-source software to build consumer, industrial, scientific and healthcare applications with precision movement and position sensing in multiple axes for uses such as remote monitoring, test and measurement, robotic control, machine vision and surveillance.

LED power supply for hand-held devices

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000

BEAR Power Supplies has introduced a compact, high-efficiency DC-DC converter for hand-held LED devices. The 10 x 20-mm power supply incorporates a microprocessor for programmable LED dimming.

The LED power supply is designed for high-performance applications where reliability is critical, including medical lighting devices and industrial instruments. It is designed and manufactured in the USA.

MA forum to focus on value-driven design

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:02:00 +0000

“Engineering Value with DFMA—Unlocking Profits in Product Design” is the theme of the Boothroyd Dewhurst’s 28th annual International Forum on Design for Manufacture and Assembly, June 12-14, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Providence-Warwick, RI. “Value analysis is a way for every organization—be it engineering-driven, financial or social in nature—to determine if the products and services it offers align with what customers truly want and are willing to pay for,” says John Gilligan, president of Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc.

DFMA forum to focus on value-driven design

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:46:00 +0000

Depression-battling device poised to launch in US

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:41:00 +0000

Israel-based Brainsway Ltd announced that after completing production of approximately 100 Deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) systems, it plans to “initiate US commercial sales of the device” this week. In addition, Brainsway has slated the official US marketing launch of Deep TMS for the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, May 18-22, in San Francisco. In January, the FDA approved Brainsway's proprietary DeepTMS device for the treatment of depression in patients who failed to respond to antidepressant medications in their current episode of depression.

Parkinson’s doesn’t stop DBS-equipped fitness trainer

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:21:00 +0000

Roy Roden has always had an adventurous spirit. The 55-year-old and his wife Lynn enjoy participating in many interesting outdoor activities together. Roden and Lynn recently completed their most challenging journey yet — a 4,500 cross-country bike ride to raise awareness and research funds for Parkinson’s disease. As recently as last year, these activities would have been unmanageable for Roden — one of the more than 1 million Americans living with Parkinson’s. Diagnosed in 2008, he began experiencing difficulty over time with basic tasks, such as eating and getting dressed. Each day he was taking 10 different medications, and their effectiveness was waning. Last July, Roden made the decision with his neurologist and family to pursue Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy, during which a small, pacemaker-like device sends electronic stimulation to a specific area of the brain that controls movement.

UL announces RoHS II services for medical and lab equipment

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:03:00 +0000

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced a new program that supports medical device and laboratory equipment manufacturers in their RoHS II Directive (2011/65/EU) compliance efforts. Manufacturers of medical and laboratory equipment, previously excluded from the scope of the original RoHS Directive, are now finding that their devices are within scope of the recast RoHS II Directive. Manufacturers placing these devices in Europe must be in compliance with the new Directive by July 22, 2014. Due diligence on the part of these manufacturers is required to ensure that their Declaration of Conformity and Technical File meets the applicable requirements.

Boston Marathon amputees may get financial aid from industry coalition

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:35:00 +0000

Human tragedies often bring out the best in people . . . and companies. An amazing example of this reality can be found in the recently announced “Coalition to Run and Walk Again,” an effort that is bringing together orthotic and prosthetic companies to provide assistance to the uninsured and under-insured victims enduring amputations as a result of last month’s Boston Marathon bombing.

DoubleTake

Mechanically Driven Diaphragm Pumps for Use with Gases

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:07:00 +0000

Hearing well in the real world

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:20:00 +0000

Written by: Sarah Downing, Senior Manager, Clinical Product Development Dawn Koch, Fellow, Collaborative Research Leonid Litvak, Scientist Fellow Gulamali Emadi, Principal Software Analyst Jane Bevan, Education and Training Manager Laure Arnold, Clinical Research Manager Alexandre Gault, Senior Product Manager Advanced Bionics Valencia, CA advancedbionics.com Edited by: Sherrie.Conroy@penton.com Twitter @SherrieConroy

Advances in software algorithms help to improve listening in complex acoustic environments without compromising performance in quiet settings.

Dental restoration reaping benefits of additive manufacturing

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:57:00 +0000

Written by: Lynn Manning Vice President Parker Group Providence, RI www.parkergroup.com Edited by: Joe.Jancsurak@penton.com Twitter @JoeJancsurak

German dental giant is capitalizing on change.

TECH SPOTLIGHT: PVC alternatives for the medical industry

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:34:00 +0000

Written by: Marcia Coulson President Eldon James Corporation Denver, CO eldonjames.com Edited by: Sherrie.Conroy@penton.com Twitter @SherrieConroy

Alternatives to PVC offer similar characteristics of clarity and flexibility plus some added benefit without the harmful effects of PVC.

R&D Notebook: Taking a targeted, focused approach to innovation

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:02:00 +0000

The shift away from incremental innovation is leading manufacturers to look toward more focused and targeted approaches to developing their next generation of devices.

Technology on Display

Thu, 02 May 2013 01:04:00 +0000

Written by: Joe Lloyd CEO Tara McCall Sales and Markting Manager Double Black Imaging Westminster, CO DoubleBlackimaging.com Edited by: Joe.Jancsurak@penton.com Twitter @JoeJancsurak

The quality and content of medical images ARE literally transforming the monitors that display them, as digital imaging technology advances.